Coil spring compressing device



Sept. 22, 1953 w ms I 2,652,625

COIL SPRING COMPRESSING DEVICE Filed May 15 1950. 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 W. B. PERKINS COIL SPRING COMPRESSING DEVICE Sept. 22, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 15, 1950 i; m 14%; a

- I -Generally stated, my provements in apparatus for use in the comhicle.

i atentecl Sept. 22, 1953 7 UNITED-STATES PATENT OFFICE v 2.652.625 I con. SPRING COMPRESSING DEVICE Perkins, St. Paul, Minn., assignor to 1 Henry H. Graham, Minneapolis, Minn.

Application May 13, 1950, Serial No. 161,850

invention relates to impressing of coil springs of the general character conventionally employed for wheel suspension in the automotive industry. In a more specific sense, my invention relates to an improved device in the nature of a plate fortransferring the force of a Jack or other prime mover extended axially into the spring .to a longitudinallyintermediate portion of the spring.

A primary object oftheinvention is the provision'of improved devices of the class and for the purpose described whereby such springs may be readily, safely and economically compressed to allow insertion of shims between the ends of the springs and the seats thereof without removing or detaching the springs from the ve- The above and highly important objects and advantages of the invention will be made apparent from the following specification, claim and appended drawings.-

In the accompanying drawings, ters indicate like parts throughout views.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary view in front elevation of part of an automobile undercarriage or chassis showing a preferred form of my invention applied thereto for the purpose of compressing a whee1 suspending spring; "Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view corresponding to Fig. 1 but with some parts broken away or omitted and some parts shown in sectionj Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a platform used as a base of reaction for the base end of the jack employed in connection with the invention;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a preferred form of plate embodying the invention;

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 66 of Fig. 5; and

Fig. '7 is a view in side elevation with some parts broken away and some parts shown in section of the plate of Figs. 5, 6 and others.

Conventional automotive structure shown particularly in Figs. 1 and 2 comprises a tireequipped front wheel I, the front section of a vehicle frame 2, the usual brake drum 3, a steering knuckle or joint 4, including the usual spindle bolt 5, lower control arms 6, upper control arms I, a rigid steering knuckle-supporting link or arm 8, and a conventional wheel suspending like characthe several 1 Claim. (01. 29-283) coil spring 9. In accordance with usual practice. the inner ends of the control arms 6 are pivoted to the vehicle frame 2 at I0 and the outer ends thereof are pivoted to the lower end of the knuckle-supporting link 8 at I I. Also, in accordance with conventional practice, the upper control arms I are pivoted to the vehicle, frame 2 l at I2 and to the upper end of the knuckle-supporting arm or link 8 at I3. The coil spring, 9 is of the conventional uniform diameter type. such as may be produced by spirally or helically winding suitable wire on a cylinder, the spring illustrated comprising a plurality of 360 turns or convolutions. In the structureillustrated, the frame structure 2 is formed to provide a seat I4 for the upper end of the spring 9 andthe lower end of the spring 9 is seated in or against a spring seating plate I5 secured to the undersides of and spanning the space between the lower control arms 6.

As previously indicated, one of the important reasons for compressing automotive springs is to allow insertion between an end thereof and a seat therefor of a suitable shim; such shims being commonly employed to compensate for excessive sagging of thespring as a result of prolonged usage or overloading. In Fig. 2 of the accompanying drawings, such a shim-ring is shown at I6 and this shim may be assumed .to

be circumferentially split to receive aspindle. or

;ing apparatus. In Fig. 2, the split shimring I6 isseated in the spring seat of plate I 5 andis I .provided in its upper surface with across-sectionally concave spring seat I9.

The spring compressing apparatus herein illustrated comprises the prime mover I8 which is in the nature of a conventional hand-operated hydraulic jack, a platform 20 used as a support or base of reaction for the base of the primer mover or jack I8, suspension chains 2I for the platform 20, and the plate indicated by 22 and forming the primary subject matter of the instant invention. The platform 20 is a channel-like structure provided at its opposite ends with chain-link-receiving notches 23. The platformsupporting chains 2| are looped over the lower control arms 6 to form inverted Us and are detachably anchored to the platform 20 by interlocking suitable links thereof in the platform channels 23.

The prime mover or jack I8 comprises a base 24, a hydraulic cylinder 25, the spindle or shaft I! which extends through the upper end of the cylinder I8 and serves as a plunger, and a suitable high pressure pumping mechanism 26.

The plate 22 serves as a base of reaction for the upper or head end of the jack shaft or spindle l1 and transfers the pressure of the jack to a longitudinally-intermediate convolution of the helical coil spring 9. The jack shaft or spindle I1 extends axially upwardly into the spring 9 through-' an axial rec'ess 21 in-the' spring seating plate i5, and the head end thereof isseated'in an axially-located downwardly-opening socket forming recess 28 in plate 22. This recess 28"is defined by a marginal flange flflaand afl-ataja'ckseating surface 28b that is so disposed with respect to the helical spring seating' upper=sur-'=*- face 29 that it is substantiallyperpendicularto the axis of the coil spring ":9 awhenithez-heiical spring seating surface 29 is seated against an intermediate convolution of said spring. "This plate 22 is formed to provide a generally helical spi' ingf seat 29* xtzh ich foearszagainst .th'e nnder surace a:majoripcntiontof=roneiconvolutioniofzthe prmg' this spring seat fl 'beingilessthan 360 in extentvtozaliow extensionmherebyrof aiporti'on ti the seated spring convolution?(extending?to he xifisiibjacent spring convolutioniibutabeing --"o moreatnan 1'80" in extentiin-siorder to engage mndssuppomas muchlof 'one spring convolution E1 as pos'sib-le. practice, 3 iti-isi desirable. to make the pitchmf the -hel'icaleseat 129 approximate as ciosely as possible thespitch of cthe: interm'ediate --CUYIVO111iOnSiTOf-th8 particular springs to:be-:com- .zpresselrzwhenfithe latter are in astate: 'of 2 partial Jcompre'ss'ion; soi'as toaassure' maximum :possible cont'act between the-heli'cal-fseat ZQ and ithe over- L lying.:poi -t'ron@ ofztheispringw. -fIn' -order' to positiveiy'1 lock1 the plate222 againstslateral Islippage fl'om itsioperativeip'osition ion the 'springsiQland ms shown inifiigsi 1 and12, the*fsaidaplate is preferably provided at its peripheral portionsand immiefiiately-iaiij-aiceni'; the?. hlifiali'seatFZ QF With an iupstanding retaining flangeiiportion ,zwhichis preiembiyz'also eof rhelical icontourzand tembraces sidefofithe': seated lconvolut'ronaofnspiing 9.

The 519181262522 is readilyapplied 'byfinserting-Jat- Y -serally zhetweenisadjacentv;intermediate: convolu- MJtfOIlOf spiingziS, afterwhich-ether head iend of 'the aeksshaft iorz spindle I 1 :is applied "in the ax-ial sso'clceten +and zagainst the closedend thereof.

.qomge zthesspringaoompressingapparatus:has been applied; as sshownu-iri'iFigsa :and;2,. that portion n nfqthegsprmgflymg abovestheiplateafl is readily f:zcc'mipresse'd :byaoper'ation iof :the jack l-t8 to raise the slowerend ithereof f i theiaseating's: plate' l .ssumeiently to allow-liinsertionaofra suitable shim or spacer ring l9, and during this entire operation the plate 22 will be positively locked against lateral displacement from the spring and. the head of the jack will be positively locked against a lateral displacement from the socket 28 of plate 22, which makes for maximum safety during the entire operation.

While in the above specification I have deascribed one embodiment which myainvention may "assumeinpractice, it'will of coursefbe understood that the same is capable of modification "and that modification may be made without departingrfromathe spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the following claim.

What Ielaim' is A device for use in the compression of coil -springs.oflthelcharacter employed for wheel suspension in automobiles, said device comprising a plate'a'riapted to serve as a base of reaction for a spring compressing flack and having a general- 41y helical-:spring.sseatingaupn resurrace.aadapted itofseatr against the helicalfsurfaceaof saimrtion :pfaazspringseonvolutionz intermediatethaendsnf :theaspring, .rsaidy; general-1y ihelical-meat tbeingrzof 1 more -zthan .;'l"8-0- iinmxtentwa-nd. of less them-360 rinswextent :.to allow the eextension z thenejeyn,pf-v a zgfiortionuofi a-i-seatedsspringaconvolutiomextendip -.t-o anaadj acent'sspringt convplutionssaid; platw'nciuding a central :body and; z-helieal flange, the saidafiangeranmadjacentnmrtionlzof M said body .,providing=saidl heliealaseatingr-gsurface aandbeingtcurved:axiall nof the;,plate for general nonfor-mity-with;theecircumferentialcwnbqlirzfio the portion; *zof Pthe espring aconvolution nseatable .therein 'a'sa-id-giplate gbeing elosedaatr-itsraxis and msaidvclosed axial portion having; a flatriaQk-saathing lundersurfaee. L that sis ssociangu-larly disposed with respect to the helical spring seating upper f surface .thatt it willsbeesubstantially-merpendicu- 401131 430 .the..axis-..ohascoil; spring when. therhel-ieal .aseatingasurfaceaisz seated. againstaan. intermedia convolution of the spring.

' L'W: HBr;

" References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES. PATENTS Number Name Date 5 EGGS-$694 1 "Bryant -Nov."i: i;-J;9l1 -'1,-2'4=5";66"1 Bou'sfieid :-.Nov:f 1:917 16-2981253 Peterson "Mar.*25,"'1919 1,368,501 Huddle ""-"Feb.. "l5,:1921 1z494a5s4 *Piasetiki ""May.20;-"1924 =2i2403897 Styles May- 6;'-'1'941 "2,46753'32 Monteith Apr. 1251949 

